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Taylor Swift Tops The Charts With Literally Just White Noise

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ts1.0.jpgTaylor Swift fans are famous for their loyalty to the cat-loving pop starlet -- or maybe Taylor is famously loyal to her fans? -- but yesterday they took their strangely dedicated relationship to a whole new level as the newest Taylor Swift release, "Track 3," rocketed to number one on the Canadian iTunes chart. The twist? "Track 3" was an nine second snippet of white noise. While it's been noted that the audio was released due to a probable error in iTunes, it didn't stop fans from paying $1.29 for a quick listen to some static. This begs the question: are Taylor Swift fans crazy devoted or just crazy?


Watch Two Clips From Dick: The Documentary

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Get ready for some Double D: a new documentary is out and it's all about dicks. Directed by first time filmmaker Brian Fender, Dick: The Documentary features 63 Craigslist-recruited anonymous New York men -- including an ex-monk, a marine and a firefighter -- stripping down and talking about their relationship to, thoughts about, and experiences with their penises. You can stream the doc for $4.95 HERE but in the meantime, scope these two (SFW) clips above and below.

(h/t Gayletter)

10 Must-See Art Shows Opening This Week

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1.-Photograph-by-Marco-Anelli-2014.jpgOn Thursday, October 23, Marina Abramovic opens her first performance piece in a gallery since 2002.  The opening is from 6 to 8 p.m. at Sean Kelly Gallery (475 Tenth Avenue) and the work, "Generator," will focus on "nothingness."  Visitors will be asked to leave their cellphones, watches etc.-- you can keep your clothes -- in a locker before they enter the empty space, and then will wear blindfolds and noise-canceling headphones.  Only 68 people will be allowed in at one time, so be prepared to wait in line.  The installation will be up until December 6.  The same night, Sean Kelly also opens a show of new photos, sculpture and works on paper by Jose Davila.

B0kIw2JCEAEghwE.jpg_large.jpgThe all-new (and still fabulous) Max Fish (120 Orchard Street) gets back in their art groove with a big group show called "Open!" curated by Andrew Kuo and Ulli Rimkus. The opening is Wednesday, October 22, 6 to 10 p.m.  Lots of familiar names on the list of partipants: Tim Barber, Brigitte Engler, Leo Fitzpatrick, Andre Razo, Greg Woolard, Harry Druzd and more.

moby-flyer-2.jpgEmmanuel Fremin Gallery (547 West 27th Street, #510) hosts the opening reception for a show of photos by the recording artist Moby on October 23rd, 6 to 9 p.m.  This show, "innocents," is Moby's third "body of photography" following "Destroyed" and "Crowds."  It's up until the end of December and it (or a variation) was previously shown in L.A. in the spring of 2014.

tumblr_ndm0heX9VX1s4fru3o1_1280.jpgDan Baldwin's "The End of Innocence" opens on October 23rd, 6:30 to 10:00 p.m., and runs until November 2nd in a pop-up space under the High Line at 446 West 14th Street.  This is the first solo exhibit in New York by Baldwin, who lives and works in London.  The show was put together by two music biz execs, Pat Magnarella and Roger Klein, via their PMM Art Projects endeavor.



Visionaire launches their latest "Art" issue in honor of John Baldessari with a week-long interactive art installation in the lobby of the Chrysler Building (405 Lexington Avenue) from October 23rd to the 28th.The show is a partnership with Samsung and a celebration of the "current ease of digital and emailable self-portraits with the time-honored craftsmanship of printmaking."  Contributors to the group show include: James Franco, Miley Cyrus, Pedro Almodovar, Drew Barrymore, Drake, John Waters, Ai Weiwei, Kaws and Michael Stipe.

One of PAPER's senior editors, Carlo McCormick, is doing an intriguing talk at Damien Hirst's "store," Other Criteria, (458 Broome Street) on Tuesday, October 28th, 7 p.m.  The subject is one that is dear to our hearts (and minds): "Art & Intoxication."  McCormick promises to cross the intersection of getting high and making art; a place that we, of course, can only imagine.  Space is extremely limited, so smoke up and go early. Mandatory RSVP to: amyc@othercriteria.com

1969340_724750237593860_6263030157719202634_n.jpgWilliamsburg's McCarren Hotel (160 North 12th Street, Brooklyn)
launched a new event called "McCarren Loves Art" earlier in the year, and the next in the series is Thursday, October 23rd, from 8 to midnight in their rooftop lounge. This week's party will be designed by Mikel Glass and will feature performance artists Gage Kass and Ellen Turietta and video director Kurt Ritta.

otterness__kissing_couple_WEB.jpgA new show of recent works by Tom Otterness opens on Wednesday, October 22, 6 to 8 p.m., at the uptown Marlborough Gallery (40 West 57th Street).  Called "Creation Myth," () the exhibit includes over 20 sculptures made of stainless steel, limestone, bronze and marble; with the works alluding to Ovid's "Metamorphoses" -- but with a twist.

Outside the city:

chashamaStudioArtists.jpgChashama, the NYC non-profit that supports visual artists, is having a "Studio Artists Reception" curated by Katie Fischer on Wednesday, October 22, 6 to 8 p.m. in the lobby gallery of the Conde Nast Building (4 Times Square). The show features works by 16 artists including Lindsey Warren, Elizabeth Allison, Tara Parsons, Sung Min  Lee, Asia Ingalls and more.  It's up until November 3rd.  Chashama has been supporting the arts since 1995 with a primary goal of utilizing empty real estate for artists' studios and spaces for exhibitions.
If you're still heading out to the Hamptons on the weekend, stop by the Parrish Art Museum  on Sunday, October 26, for two openings: "Mary Queen of the Universe" featuring new sculpture by Steven and William Ladd; and "In Motion" with sculpture and installations by Alan Shields, including a dance performance by Stephen Petronio Company.

ONGOING
If you're up near Lincoln Center, be sure to check out the the giant LED screen in the middle of the plaza. It's an installation by the Irish artist John Gerrard called "Solar Reserve" that changes in real time throughout the day and re-creates a solar power plant in Nevada.  On view until December 1st.







Jaden Smith Is Very Sad and Very Confused In His New Video For "Blue Ocean"

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While Jaden Smith might not be a #sadboy à la Yung Lean, he's definitely one of the saddest boys in the music scene right now. His new video for "Blue Ocean," directed by the actor Moises Arias, cements his place as our new favorite heartbroken, confused, pseudo-philosophical rapper. The entire video is an ode to his love interest -- who is "played" by Kylie Jenner -- and filled with scenes of him looking moody on a rope swing, looking moody on a pier, looking moody shirtless in the woods, and looking moody in the dark with some weird symbols occasionally flashing across the screen. It doesn't really make sense, but it still feels fairly depressing. While it's a pretty enjoyable watch, the best part of the entire video might be that the screen is often dark enough that if you squint you can see your own confused face staring back at you.

The 10 Most Iconic Female Costumes in Movie History

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I'm terminally superficial, so the most important thing to me about a movie -- or about anything -- is what they wore. And sometimes what they wore is so dazzling that it creates a legend of its own while putting an imprint on the collective consciousness for all time. Here, in my stylish opinion, are the 10 most iconic outfits in femme film history, ranked in order, starting at the top.

269443608_7b7b4a9994.jpg1) Audrey Hepburn's black dress, jeweled necklace, tiara, elbow-length black gloves, and shades in Breakfast at Tiffany's, courtesy of Givenchy, with help from Edith Head. (1961) She looked so elegant you forgot she was playing a whore!

o-MARILYN-MONROE-SEVEN-YEAR-ITCH-570.jpg2) Marilyn Monroe's flying dress in The Seven Year Itch (1955). It was white and flowing, perfectly wrapped around her pendulous jugs. And when Marilyn stood over that grating and it blew upwards, so many people started drooling that a simple dress ended up destroying a marriage.

GWTW7.jpg3) Vivien Leigh's green velvet curtain dress in Gone With The Wind (1939). It was lusciously practical--especially the way the cord became a wonderful belt. I loved when Carol Burnett parodied the outfit on her TV variety show and used the curtain rod too!

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 4.39.58 PM.png4) Marlene Dietrich's tuxedo in Morocco (1930). This was extra shocking back then, especially since Marlene seduced two men (while dressed as a man) and smooched a female audience member. Hot stuff.

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 4.41.43 PM.png5) Diane Keaton's men's attire in Annie Hall (1977). Similarly, Diane casually sported a man's shirt, tie, vest, and hat in this classically neurotic romantic comedy. Woody must have felt extra emasculated.

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 4.45.38 PM.png6) Faye Dunaway's ensemble in Bonnie and Clyde (1967). The one with the ribbed, golden top, paisley-patterned ascot, and beige beret. Pretty chic for a mass murderer.

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 4.48.45 PM.png7) Cate Blanchett's outfits in Elizabeth (1998) and Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) Any of the costumes in either of those films (designed by the Oscar winning Alexandra Byrne) rank with the most opulently eye catching of all time. Cate sported ornate collars, hanging necklaces, and lots of funky stuff in the hair, all around the crown. What a queen!


Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 4.50.55 PM.png8) Natalie Portman's black tutu, with feathered breastplates, plus swanlike eye makeup and tiara for The Black Swan. (2010) Her stand-in looked good in it too.

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 4.59.08 PM.png9) Bette Davis's babydoll outfit in What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962) As gay people know, Bette wore an intricately frilly white dress with a sash, as well as curly locks and white pancake. It was the ultimate in creepy chic.

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 5.01.32 PM.png10) Divine's red dress with taffeta bottom in Pink Flamingos (1972). When you added mile-high eyebrows and ratted out bleached blond hair that started halfway across Divvy's head, you had to admit this getup was iconic, particularly after midnight.

Special shout outs to Liz Taylor's sexy white slip in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Diana Ross's fierce kimono in Mahogany, Liza Minnelli's Dietrich-esque chanteuse-wear in Cabaret, Bette Davis's transformation in Now Voyager, Doris Day's sparkly blue gown with feathery bottom in Love Me or Leave Me, Lana Turner's deceptively white outfit in The Postman Always Rings Twice, Judy Garland's gingham goddess look in The Wizard of Oz, plus Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, Cher, Meryl, and on and on. Thank you, Hollywood. Thank you, designers. Thank you, world.











The 10 All Time Weirdest Certified Platinum Albums

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Last week, Forbes made a big deal about the fact that not a single artist's album has gone platinum in 2014. Since then, many thinkpieces have followed, asking if the death of the platinum album is imminent.

To add to the debate, we've taken a look back at the weirdest, most unexpected, and illogical albums that have ever received a platinum certification by the RIAA, below.

25b7808a8da0f5c43c8d7110.L.jpg1. Jock Jams Volume 2 by Various

Apparently, Jock Jams -- the soundtrack to our miserable existence in elementary school PE class -- really stepped it up on their second installment. The tracks on this double platinum selling compilation range from the inspiring eurodance track "No Limit" to Montell Jordan's club banger "This Is How We Do It" to random cheer interludes by the Jock Jams Cheerleaders.

Survivor+-+Eye+of+the+Tiger+(Front).jpg2. Eye of the Tiger by Survivor  

First of all, "Eye of the Tiger" is a good song ONLY for the purpose of ironic workout montages. The track is also put to good use here, in DJ Hennessy Youngman's aka artist Jayson Musson's hilarious CVS Bangers 3 compilation. But if you look at Eye of the Tiger (the album), the other tracks are completely unrecognizable and unmemorable, unless you're a dad who won't ever give up his fierce love of 80s stadium rock. Now that we can pick and choose what songs to (legally or, more often than not, illegally) download or stream, there's no way that this entire album would go platinum today.

1024px-OST.jpg3. Space Jam (soundtrack) by Various

The Space Jam soundtrack is nothing laugh at. We've got R. Kelly, Seal, Coolio, Busta Rhymes, Jay Z, and the Spin Doctors all in one place. However, it should be noted that not all of these songs appear in the film, they're just inspired by it. And even though the soundtrack to Space Jam is by all accounts awesome, it's definitely weird that Bugs Bunny is technically a platinum certified recording artist.

Dark-Horse-cover.jpg4. Dark Horse by Nickleback

This Nickleback album sold 5 million copies worldwide yet we're having a hard time recognizing a single song on the track list. Before this, we honestly just assumed that "Photograph" and "Rockstar" were on every Nickleback album, or at least included in the bonus tracks.

529d9088e9675.image.jpg5. Duck The Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas

Unfortunately, the Duck Dynasty family made a Christmas album. Unsurprisingly, the track list includes songs like, "Ragin' Cajun Redneck Christmas." Although we shouldn't be surprised that there's people out there who LOVE this kind of stuff, we can't get over the fact that Duck the Halls has sold over a million units.

61kGiul5VpL.jpg6. WWF the Music, Volume 3

While volumes one and two didn't make the cut, volume three of WWF the Music somehow went platinum. We can probably blame overly aggressive teenage boys for this. And to be clear, this album -- which sold over a million copies -- is solely compiled from the theme songs of WWF wrestlers. The tracks don't even have proper titles.

The_Simpsons_Sing_the_Blues.jpg7. The Simpsons Sing the Blues

The Simpsons Sing the Blues was one of the first successful records by a cast of fictional characters. After its release, even Barbie and The Little Mermaid's Sebastian were rushing to release pop albums. While the songs were sung by the Simpsons characters, everyone from DJ Jazzy Jeff to Michael Jackson worked on the album. No wonder it was a platinum selling hit.

1230216970_aqua-aquarium-1997.jpg8. Aquarium by Aqua

If Aquarium came out today and not in 1997, everyone would have just downloaded "Barbie Girl" and then called it a day. But luckily for Aqua, CDs were still a thing in the 90s and they can claim a triple RIAA certified platinum record.

Otownalbum.jpg9. O-town by O-town

Let's just put it this way, the early 2000s were a dark time. The completely manufactured boy band that was O-town should not have happened at all, let alone successfully.

610H1150NBL.jpg10. Yanni Live at the Acropolis by Yanni

Clichéd new age music aside, Yanni's Live at the Acropolis is mainly on this list because of the awful photoshopped cover art.

The Parody Song "Actual Cannibal Shia LaBeouf" Was Turned Into An Epic Musical

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Rob Cantor's 2012 viral Shia LaBeouf parody song "Actual Cannibal Shia Labeouf" has taken to the stage. The epic live version is complete with a choir, Cirque du Soleil-style dancers, and Shia Labeouf himself. 

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Behold, the manicure emoji IRL (!!!!) [via FuckYouNoFuck]



Finally, a place for carb lovers to connect. [via DailyDot]



Good one, Guy Fieri. [via FuckYouNoFuck


These two pups, Penny and Maymo are the cutest trick-or-treaters you'll see all day. [via Jezebel



Zach Galifianakis unsuccessfully talks to Brad Pitt between two ferns ("Is it hard for your to maintain your sun tan... because you live in your wife's shadow?") and Louie CK crashes the interview.

  

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on


Here's a picture of Drake doing his best Kanye West impression.

Listen to Bette Midler Cover of TLC's "Waterfalls"

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While we would have loved to hear Bette Midler rap, Left Eye-style, her cover of "Waterfalls" is negotiated gracefully. Aretha Franklin -- who recently covered "Rolling in the Deep" -- isn't Adele and, obviously, Bette Midler isn't TLC (despite her tripled image on the cover art) but we can appreciate both of the OG's takes on contemporary pop. We also can appreciate the alluring bongos on this "Waterfalls" cover, above.

[via Vulture]

PSA: Cara Delevingne Wants Dudes to Feel Their Nuts

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Cara Delevingne was tapped to be a spokeswoman for the Feeling Nuts campaign, which aims to raise awareness for testicular cancer despite the fact that, obviously, she doesn't have testicles. In this promo clip from an upcoming UK TV special tomorrow night, we see the model attempt to shoot a spot urging guys to feel their balls to self-examine for cancer. Problem is, she gets a little tripped up at first about what part of the body she's supposed to be referring to. She'll get it eventually.  

Street Art Meets Weed for These Limited Edition Artist Bongs

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2014-10-12 06.26.29.jpg
Miley Cyrus isn't the only artist who works with bongs as a medium. Dumbo's Mighty Tanaka -- which touts itself as "an art gallery for a new generation" -- aims to highlight the underground glass art movement with their newest project, Glass Pipe Canvas. And what better way to shirk off glass art's reputation as boring and obscure than with custom bongs adorned with skulls and dismembered eyeballs.

Glass Pipe Canvas unites glass artist Zach Puchowitz and punk designer L'amour Supreme and together, the two came up with an edition of 10 badass bongs for $1,000 each. Clearly, these bongs aren't actually for obscure street artist stoners, just designed by them.

Panda Bear's New "Mr. Noah" Video Is One Big Groundhog Day-In-the-Life

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Panda Bear, aka Animal Collective's Noah Lennox, released a new EP yesterday along with this video for "Mr. Noah" -- and it's a trip. Starring a dog named Boycie, the clip is a spinning, twisting Groundhog Day-in-the-life of a tenement courtyard and a buildings' freaky dwellers. They move in and out, up and down and seem to be going nowhere while you'll be reaching for the Dramamine. Near the end, an angry girlfriend tosses her BF's possessions out the window and the stuff gets picked over by everybody but Boycie. It was shot by the award winning French trio AB/CD/CD -- those are their initials -- who have shot clips for Lily Allen, Uffie etc. and fashion shoots for Opening Ceremony.

NASA's Official SoundCloud Lets You Listen to Space

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If you have an outer space-themed fetish, boy is today your day! Recently, NASA compiled sounds from their historic missions on their newly-minted SoundCloud, including: President Kennedy Sounds (for your Kennedy/Boston accent fetish), Rocket Engine Sounds, and Solar Systems & Beyond Sounds.

NASA even offers up some suggestions for what you can do with these sounds (besides sex stuff), like make them your ringtone or the error message on your computer.

Stream the soothing sounds of Apollo, below:




[via Pigeons and Planes]

The Triumphant Return of Teddy Bear the Porcupine

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It's fall, which means it's pumpkin season, which means its snack season for Teddy Bear the bossiest, busiest, chattiest porcupine in all the land. [TastefullyOffensive]



Two 30-something dudes lip synch a conversation between two 60-something sisters and it's the best. [TastefullyOffensive]
 
Mr. Big's "To Be With You" (a really solid karaoke fall-back, if ever you're in need) as sung by puppets. [Uproxx]

tumblr_ndvnpjcBZa1qewacoo1_500.png Bless. [TastefullyOffensive]

kfclove.pngGPOY. [TheClearlyDope]
 115OY.png
BOOOOOOOM. [Milkshk]

tumblr_nd6ybi5tYW1qzr715o1_500.jpgWe'd like this to be on our tombstone. [FYouNoFMe]

115HN.jpgYour astrological forecast for today. [Mlkshk]



Chvrches'"Under The Tide" Is One Big Sci-Fi/Anime Journey

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Chvrches' latest video "Under the Tide," off their debut album The Bones of What You Believe, features a Sci-Fi journey that cuts between both anime and live footage. Directed by Sing K. Lee, the video also sees bandmember Martin Doherty singing lead vocals unlike their usual frontwoman Lauren Mayberry. Two thumbs up for this space jam.  

Go Crazy For Friday With the Fine Young Cannibals

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"She Drives Me Crazy" went to #1 on the pop chart in 1989 and The Fine Young Cannibals' next single, "Good Thing," did the same. But that was it. They only recorded two albums and by 1992 the UK trio had broken up. The band originally wanted Prince to produce their album and, in fact, did record at his Paisley Park Studios, but they worked with the Minneapolis-born session guitarist, David Z, instead. The video won MTV's Video of the Year Award in 1989 and was directed by Philippe Decoufle.

Run The Jewels Leak Their Own Album

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In the early hours of this morning -- early enough that most people will consider it last night -- Run The Jewels (aka rap heavyweights El-P and Killer Mike) took a break from cat-related antics to tweet out links to a download of their highly anticipated sophomore album Run The Jewels 2. The tweets were followed by an email to notify the (undedicated) fans who don't check Twitter at 2am that RTJ2 was now available for free. The duo seem to be following a familiar trend of artists pulling a total power move and leaking their own album to deter fans from downloading leaks from other sources. While the early album release might not have been for the happiest reasons, fans of Run The Jewels definitely woke up to a present this morning. 

In Honor of Drake's Birthday, Here's the Best of @Champagnepapi

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Happy birthday, Drake! Over time, we've grown to know you as "the boy," "wheelchair Jimmy," "Steph Curry with the shot," and, perhaps most belovedly, @champagnepapi. Here's our favorite and most essential moments from Drake's Instagram, below.

That time when Drake took a duck face selfie:

Devlin Selfie Bruh...Red Hot Revival

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on



That time when Drake made up his own awards:

@ilovemakonnen - Tuesday for Best Latin Club Anthem #HoodGrammys #WeNeedEverything

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on



That time when Drake was #NotHereOnSomeRomanticShit

That time when Drake went to Hogwarts:

Me at Hogwarts scheming on Hermoine #DrakeOMalfoy #CantStandMuggles

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on



That time when Drake pole danced:


That time when Drake tried to sell his tears:

Drake Tears For Sale 2015

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on



That time when Drake was embarrassed by his dad:

My dad on a very rare wave @therealdennisg

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on



@champagnebaby:

Thank you for all my lessons. Whether they were taught to me on purpose or not.

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on



That time Drake posted two pictures of Nicki Minaj without reason nor explanation:

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on


A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on



That time Drake asked, "This isn't an ironic Hawaiian shirt party?" while holding a tiny glass:

@whenarichniggawantyou

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on



That time Drake fell asleep in a furniture store:

Time Off

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on



That time when Drake wore glasses:

Never half way...if anything I did it the Haff way @haffsofly

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on



That time when Drake was fooling around on his calculator:

Real.

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on



That time when Drake learned about rejection:

Always been at it

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on



That time when Drake proved he was Canadian:

Rrrrrrrr Ting #416

A video posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on



That time when Drake was lost at sea:

Let that boy whip

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on



That time when Drake was Lil Wayne:

YMCMB

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on



That time when Drake was a mall Santa:

Hard to get mad at the man you made me baby

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on



That time when Drake was a Ninja Turtle for Halloween:

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on



And that time when he was Batman:

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on

15 Times Kanye West Sounded Like Jenny Holzer

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Screen Shot 2014-10-24 at 3.32.24 PM.pngAt this point, one of Kanye West's most well-known traits is his ability to spit out an evocative quote at the drop of a hat; if Kanye West is talking -- even if it's just a midconcert rant -- he's invariably dropping a soundbite that will be tweeted and re-tweeted into oblivion for the next 24 hours. Ofen jokingly referred to "Kanye-isms" some of his more insightful and self-aware quotes remind us of another artist famous for her -isms: Jenny Holzer. In Holzer's famous series of Truisms she lays down some fundamental truths about the universe and, really, isn't that basically what Kanye is always doing? To commemorate the similarities between these two awe-inspiring artists we rounded up 15 Kanye quotes that wouldn't feel out of place in a series of Truisms.


1. "Everything I'm not made me everything I am."

2. "There's no reality to celebrity."

3. "I am passionate I am human I am real."

4. "I feel like I'm here for a reason."

5. "Everyone's born confident, and everything's taken away from you."

6. "To use is necessary. And if you can't be used, then you're useless."

7. "I am so credible and so influential and so relevant that I will change things."

8. "Having money isn't everything, not having it is."

9. "Everything in the world is exactly the same."

10. "The prettiest people do the ugliest things."

11. "My life is dope and I do dope shit."

12. "Nothing in life is promised except death."

13. "I live and breathe every element in life."
 
14. "I feel like I'm too busy writing history to read it."

15. "I'm not above the people. I'm of the people. I love the people. I am the people."


A Straight Man's Respect Doesn't Mean Shit to Rapper Mykki Blanco

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mblacnodoggood.jpgMykki Blanco has been on the road for the past two years, touring nonstop. He's blown through far eastern Russia, London, Berlin and back to New York City, becoming more of a transcontinental experimental artist than just a rapper.

His new mixtape Gay Dog Food, which comes out Oct. 28, showcases a complete picture of Blanco, piecing together the dynamic, cohesive sound his previous releases have only flirted with, from punk and noise to industrial and Riot Grrrl. The album is aggressive and woefully grimy -- track "Moshin In The Front," features Memphis rapper Cities Aviv as well as Blanco growling  "all the white boys in the pit scream," over thrashing production by Naked.

We caught up with Blanco to hear more about recording with Kathleen Hanna, performing in Vietnam's only hipster bar and where to buy the best human hair wigs.

On Gay Dog Food:

Gay Dog Food came about because I wanted an alias that would enable me to pursue other sounds outside of the image I'd already created for Mykki Blanco. At the time when I'd create music that wasn't specifically Mykki Blanco, I'd go by the name, 'Gay Dog.' The direction on this project is closer to what I was making when I first started in the New York scene with more hardcore music. It's still a Mykki Blanco record, but I'm beginning to bridge this new wave sound that I've been making.

On recording with Kathleen Hanna:

It was amazing -- I had no idea she was going to come by the studio. My manager was emailing with her, but nothing had been set in stone. All of the sudden, midday, we heard from Kathleen saying she was down to come by the studio for a few hours, so I started freaking out and running around. To be honest, there was no game plan, but we had about five hours and I thought, 'Okay, how can I utilize this amazing talent, right now?' I thought that me rapping, while Kathleen sang R&B vocals would be too outrageous, so we made the track more of homage to her. I had Kathleen write for about an hour and recorded this spoken word piece. I come in at the beginning and end, but the track is supposed to be her collage sound piece, which we've called, "A Moment with Kathleen."

On his weirdest touring experience:


The strangest place I've ever had a show was a tiny, tiny bar in Hanoi, Vietnam. When you talk about a corner of the world, this was literally the tiniest corner of the world -- it's the one hipster bar in all of communist Hanoi. But to be honest, my show stories are kind of inimitable, so this could go on forever into a black hole.

On the saying, "The future is stupid:"

That came from a phrase that my best friend and I used to say many years ago. He had a hat that he got from somewhere in Wisconsin that said across the front, 'The Future is Stupid.' We always thought that it was really funny because saying, 'the future is stupid,' is derived from the same place as that whole punk mantra, 'fuck tomorrow, live for today.' It's really anarchist, but it's also more playful. I integrated the saying into my show because it's saying, 'Yes, the future can be many things and the future will likely be stupid, so it's always good to be here in the moment and engage as much as you can now and not wait for some future filled with fake opportunities.' You need to explore your ambitions, now.

Why "a straight man's respect doesn't mean shit" to him:

That's really important to me. No matter what crossover I may have, no matter what genders or backgrounds the people that enjoy my music have, a large part of my fan base is gay and those are my people. They're the people I represent. I always want to reinforce to my fans that regardless of any issue with homosexuality that people want to debate about, it's about owning your sexuality and not allowing the heterosexual world to think they can critique it -- no one is critiquing heterosexuality. Don't allow society to put who you are into this petri dish like it's a topic for discussion. That's why I say, 'A straight man's respect doesn't mean shit to me,' because so many people will condescendingly say to me, 'Oh you really are a good rapper.' What they're really trying to say is, 'You're a really good rapper for being gay.'

On his Portugal arrest:

I think that got a bit blown out of proportion in America because so many different people began to write about it. When I say it was blown out of proportion, the experience was still fucking awful. It wasn't so much the arrest and me being in jail that was the most awful thing -- a local Portuguese paper wrote about my show and then I had all these bigots, homophobes and really hostile people coming to my Facebook page. The racist, homophobic rants, the slurs and hate speech that came from that country -- it was one of the most eye-opening, scary experiences I've ever had in my life.

On what makes a good wig:

My favorite place to get wigs is where the big girls go, which is Helena Collection in Meatpacking. That's where Eryka Badu and Nicki get all their bomb wigs. I can actually have them for the next nine months. But I also need to get better at not destroying them so quickly.

On the Gay Dog Food bonus track, "Solange in the Elevator," featuring Katie Got Bandz:

The song is just basically a bad girl anthem about letting people who think they can manipulate you know that they can't. The title comes from one of the first lines in the song, 'I'm Solange in the elevator; watch your ass. You're phony, faking in my face; that shit don't get a pass.'

On moving to Los Angeles:

I have to go back to Europe quickly to do some shows, but then I'm coming back and I'm finally getting my own place December 1st. I haven't had my own apartment since June of 2012. Traveling so much these past two years has been so spiritual. Touring has become about so much more than just the shows. The soul travel is what I've gotten really into, but the difficult part is riding on the road. Doing things like laundry can become super difficult if you're on the road for so long, so that's why I feel really good about this move to Los Angeles. Once I'm really settled, I'll have mastered my own domain and my life won't always be dictated by a cattle call to and from the stage. 

Everything WIll Be Butt-Shaped When Nicki Minaj Takes Over the World

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She's already the queen of our heart, but can Nicki Minaj hurry up and become the queen of everything already? In the clip above, Nicki Minaj becomes supreme ruler of the world after successfully dominating the 2014 MTV European Music Awards. Her first decree? Butt-shaped EVERYTHING. We're talking butt burgers, butt emojis, and a butt Hollywood walk of fame. We can't wait.
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